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 Swim
Comments: My swim time seems a LOT slower than it felt...which was close to my recent practice times around 6:30 for 325yds, so I'm wondering what happened? I remember only one person passing me, and it turns out he probably was the only one "on track". Oh well, I felt ok when I got out, plenty of lungs left. What would you do differently?: Keep my head down more (going by some pics now). Maybe report a faster time to get started earlier--in addition to the obvious swimming faster, because I FEEL IT COMING!. Hey, I basically started relearned swimming, TI drills, etc starting this January...and as a benny I'm actually looking forward to swim workouts now! Terry Laughlin is an amazing guy.  Transition 1
Comments: Shucks, my first transition. Didnt feel cold like I thought, but it was definitely slower to get socks on feet and my wind jacket zipper engaged. Yes I need socks on my old feet, even just for 15mi bike. Did the "roll up socks thing, but my wet feet just weren't impressed. What would you do differently?: Practice jumping out of tub at home and running to simulated transition towel, getting bike gear on, etc.  Bike
Comments: Biking I dig, and I was having fun. Two years of 6am spin class has me climbing easier! Passed plenty of folks (ok, many on mountain bikes) and nobody passed me. Well, just a few right near the end after coming up the 5th St hill... My home-assembled cyclocross bike with clip-on aerobars did fine. Funny, I got an almost identical time on the same route from the Y parking lot and back two weeks before the race, and that was with downtown traffic time factored in. Maybe that swim did really take it out of me. Or dreading the next stage I guess I held back at the end.. What would you do differently?: If I had an earlier swim, I would have started with faster bikers. Maybe that would have spurred me on more? Transition 2
Comments: Took a few seconds to tie up my running shoes, but no big deal. It's not like I was going to light up the track next. What would you do differently?: Eat something for energy.  Run
Comments: Dont like to run, never have. Even so, I'm faster now at 58 than at any other point in my basically non-athletic life. I just dont want to push it at this point, what with a ruptured disc and all (10+ years since that painful episode, dodging surgery, long and boring story). What's a little numbness in one foot when you get down to it? So I didnt walk at any point, even though any slower pace I would technically would not have been running I guess. What would you do differently?: Practice more, I admit. Maybe on the treadmill or non-pavement trails to minimize the spine pounding factor. Or, look into Aquabike events. Post race
Warm down: Just stood around talking with wife and a couple of great friends from out-of-town who came to cheer me on. Wasn't really that tired overall, but glad to be done. Watched a few others finish, then went and got bike and rode back down to car and loaded up for home. What limited your ability to perform faster: Lack of experience, and when it comes to running...desire. I hope to improve next year in same event. And in between, do a few other triathlons as well as some biking centuries, etc. Event comments: Of all the triathons I've done, this was the best! OK, the only one I've done, but yes it helped me meet my goal to HAVE FUN, and it was VERY well organized, with lots of friendly folks putting it on, volunteering with it, and of course running in it! Last updated: 2008-01-26 12:00 AM
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United States
Angels Foundation
46F / 8C
Overcast
Overall Rank = 127/195(m)
Age Group = 55 - 59
Age Group Rank = 5/5
First race ever for me, of any kind. So didn't get much quality sleep night before. Up at 5:30am, made coffee and had cereal, loaded bike onto car rack, and downed shots of orange juice and supplements (glucosamine, vitamins). Loaded backpack with gear into car and took off for downtown around 6:15, arriving near YMCA on Main at 6:35, parked and road bike up to transition area. Racked bike at right place and picked up chip, got marked, etc. Then milled about trying not to look too out of place while I set up my transition area/towel and such.
The pool swim started at 8:00 but my swim time (as #297) was 9:26, so I watched quite a few fast swimmers--along with a few others that placed themselves in harm's way. Then around 9:10 I tried out the warmup pool for a few laps. It seemed crowded with wall soakers on both ends, but I felt ok with my stroke. Got in the swim queue line around 9:15. Talked to a few folks, including nice lady (Donna) behind me who is an experienced triathlete.